Skip to main content

Bahraini King says looking forward to improved relations with Iran

1 min

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said on Thursday in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that there is no reason to postpone the resumption of diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Iran, state news agency reported.

Vladimir Putin and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said on Thursday in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that there is no reason to postpone the resumption of diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Iran, state news agency reported.

King Hamad added that the kingdom is looking forward to improve its relations with Iran.

Tiny Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet, has long blamed Tehran for stirring up its own majority Shi'ite Muslim population against Bahrain's Sunni monarchy.

The government came down hard on protests in 2011 when demonstrators, many from the Shi'ite majority, rose up to demand the downfall of Bahrain's monarchy in the Arab Spring. Bahrain partly blamed that unrest on Iran, an accusation Tehran denied.

Bahrain was the only Gulf state to have supported the U.S. and U.K. strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen earlier this year after that group launched its Red Sea attacks against shipping.

Reporting by Jana Choukeir

Related

Saudi Arabia

Exclusive-Kushner has discussed U.S.-Saudi diplomacy with Saudi crown prince

 Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has discussed U.S.-Saudi diplomatic negotiations involving Israel with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman multiple times since leaving the Trump White House, said a source familiar with the discussions.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.